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Monday, June 27, 2011

Angry Birds Blanket!

Over the weekend my boys went to an Angry Birds themed birthday party. Of course they needed a theme-appropriate gift for the birthday boy!With their direction as to which characters to include (as well as a few hints from the birthday boy's mom as to the birthday boy's favorites!), I whipped together this fun little fleece blanket, using my SUPER versatile Fleece Applique Technique. (A list of ideas for this technique is at the end of this post!)

Of course there's the ever-famous BIG red bird...

...the king pig...

...and the bomb bird!(please excuse his one wonky eyebrow -- it definitely should have been longer. It's going to bug me for the rest of forever!)

Here's the back -- LOVE!

I started with 1 1/2 yards of blue fleece for the blanket. The selvages are at the top and bottom of the blanket. I then used pieces from my fleece collection for the birds. The technique is the same as for my Tiny Kitten in a Box tutorial -- using a tissue paper pattern and free-motion foot.

Here's a quick explanation:

Draw an "actual size" image of your bird on a sheet of light-colored tissue paper. I free-hand sketched mine. REMEMBER that your finished bird will be a mirror image of your sketch.

(Yes, this is a different bird now!)You will need to think in "layers," starting with the main background color. Place your tissue paper pattern on the BACK of the blanket, positioning it where you want it, and pin it in place around the edges of the pattern. Layer your first color of fleece on the FRONT of the blanket, making sure the entire area of the pattern will be covered, and pin the fleece in place around the outside edges.

SEW from the pattern side, directly on your drawn lines! I use a free-motion foot for this, but you could use a regular sewing machine foot. Once you've completed your shape, cut away the excess fleece from around your stitching line using finely pointed scissors. You can trim very close to your stitching line -- fleece will not fray!

NOTE: Leave your tissue paper pattern alone! You still need it!

Continue adding layers of fleece, pinning your fleece in place and sewing from the tissue paper side. After sewing each layer, trim away the excess.

Keep adding layers of fleece until you've completed your image.

That's it! Once you are all finished with your birdies and pigs, you simply tear your tissue paper patterns from the back of the blanket. Done!!

I recently discovered Angry Birds (I just got a new smartphone and got one of the free games) and I LOVE THEM! Therefore, I love this blanket . . . and of course the other Angry Bird things you have done.

I love your blanket! What a personal gift. One question ... why do you bother sewing on the back rather then right over the applique on the front? And why use tissue paper? This is prob very obvious ... but I can't visualize it in my head! Thanks for the tutorial!

I sew from the back out of pure laziness -- er -- EFFICIENCY! That means you only have to draw one pattern. If you work up your layers on the front, you have to keep removing your tissue paper patterns for each color, then adding another. From the back = shortcut! :o)

My wife was just telling me that I need to make my sone a Angry Bird quilt. I thought na no one would make one of them. Google and presto you have one. I love it. Wife will love it and my son will think Im a hero.